Thursday, March 30, 2017

Whether it's the 1st or the 50th, anniversaries are always worth celebrating. This is a time to honor the relationship of a very special couple who have stood the test of time and have achieved so much in their partnership together. They've inspired many friends and family by their relationship, and their anniversary should be met with a special celebration. If you've been gifted the honor of hosting an anniversary celebration in Tennessee for that lucky in love couple, you're going to need to be on your A-game to prep the best event possible for this special day. Country Jewell has some great advice on how to host a great event with style and ease!

Pick the Date & Time

If the party isn't a surprise, then it's best to discuss dates and times with the couple. If you choose to host this celebration on the date of their anniversary make sure it isn't going to hinder any plans they may have already had planned. Be sure to select a date that would work best for invited guests as well. For example, if the honoree's actual anniversary falls on a weekday, it may be better to hold the event on a weekend day instead so guests are able to attend.

Choose the Location

The location should be convenient for the couple, first and foremost. The venue you choose should be able to hold the allotted amount of guest you plan to invite. Not only that, but if the guests are going to be traveling to attend, you want to be sure that there are plenty of nearby lodging and attractions for the guests while they're visiting. If your guest list is around 100 guests or less, the Country Jewell Wedding and Event Venue is perfect for your party.

Select a Theme

For an anniversary party, there are several ways you can choose to go for the theme. You can recreate their wedding day, put a fun tropical spin on it, implement a country-rustic vibe, decade themed, or whatever your heart desires! Ask the guests of honor what they would enjoy. If they're celebrating a milestone anniversary such as platinum, diamond, ruby or gold, you've got it easy - just stick to the milestone theme!

Send out Invitations

Hopefully you've been compiling a list of guests you plan to invite. You're going to need to get those sent out ASAP! Don't forget to include RSVP information so you have a more realistic idea of how many guests to plan for. The etiquette of gift-giving for an anniversary is not always clear, so be sure to specify on the invitations "No Gifts, Please" to avoid any confusion if that's the wishes of the couple. Also make sure to include travel and lodging information so that guests who plan to attend can easily make accommodations.

Plan Decor and Entertainment

Think about the couple when making plans for the big event. Some couples are entertainers at heart and love to make the most of their get-togethers. They would love to have a well-thought out and detailed event with plenty of interaction and guest involvement. Others may prefer to keep it low-key, so if that's the case, stick to the basics and don't spend much time on coming up with entertainment. For personal touches, make sure you include special things from their wedding day: a replication of their wedding cake, a photo book of their wedding day, use their wedding colors in the theme and decor. As an anniversary gift to the happy couple, create an anniversary guest book for them to keep and look back on for years to come.

The best wedding and events venue in Tennessee has the perfect venue solution for you. Our event facility will make your party memorable! A rustic, quaint, and open setting accommodates up to 100 guests. Upper level loft is great for dancing. Country Jewell is perfect for birthdays, holiday parties, anniversaries, retirement ceremonies, and so much more!

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Finding the perfect place to have your wedding is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make during your wedding planning. So much thought needs to go into selecting a location and a venue. Country Jewell Wedding and Event Venue has four excellent reasons for you right here about why you should be getting married in Tennessee.

Plenty for your guests to doChances are if you’re considering planning a destination wedding in Tennessee, your guests are going to be traveling to join you on this day of celebration. Why not give back to them for spending this joyous occasion with you by providing them with a memorable wedding weekend. Knoxville has plenty of attractions to offer your guests that will keep them happy in their downtime, and Country Jewell in Heiskell is only a short distance from it. From outdoor recreation opportunities to always fresh farmers’ markets, the thriving local businesses offer all kinds of services to make your rustic wedding near Knoxville a hit.Fill up on some real southern style cookingTennessee is known for its delicious southern style cooking. Treat your guests and wedding party to a real southern treat with the nation’s best barbecue, fried or blackened catfish, baked goods and homemade jams and barbecue sauce. Tennessee is also home to Brach candies, Little Debbie snack cakes, and Mayfield ice cream. Your guests will swoon over the scrumptious Tennessee inspired down home dinner you’ve planned out.

Bring out the south with a Tennessee inspired themeWhy not enjoy all that Tennessee has to offer by creating a wedding theme based around everything that is Tennessee? With Tennessee being one of the most well-known places for a lush musical background all across the board, it’s easy to incorporate anything musical into your wedding theme. Another well-known must-have from Tennessee is, of course, the world’s best Tennessee whiskey – Jack Daniels.

The natural beauty is unbeatable.Home to the Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee is by far one of the most beautiful places to hold your wedding. It’s easy to utilize the already majestic scenery for any wedding setting. With a few rustic touches like mason jars, wild flowers, or simple centerpieces, it’s a breeze to create the perfect and whimsical wedding of your dreams. The natural beauty of Tennessee ties in well with any wedding décor.

Our scenic wedding venue near Knoxville is nestled at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains, with its casual charm, peaceful setting and beautiful views of the foothills. It offers a perfect venue for practically any event. Country Jewell is the idyllic rustic setting for weddings and events with 100 or fewer guests. Our beautiful gardens, waterfall, quaint chapel, gazebo, and renovated barn reception hall give your celebration a beautiful, cozy feel. Unlike larger venues, you won't feel overwhelmed by empty, extra space. At Country Jewell, you and your wedding guests will feel like you've found a touch of southern paradise!

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Spring officially begins next Monday, March 20, so today Country Jewell has decided to think warm thoughts and imagine a few fun ideas for all of the spring and summer weddings we have coming up this year. Our scenic wedding venue near Knoxville is beautiful in every season, but the warmer ones allow us to spend more time outdoors, enjoying the breathtaking scenery all around us.

Get OutsideSpring at Country Jewell is filled with fresh new greenery and beautiful blooms, and once summer rolls around, nature is at its beautiful best around here. Our event barn is an excellent reception spot to let everyone get out of the sun and heat, but planning to spend time outside too is pleasant for everyone. We have a couple of different areas that are perfect for an outdoor ceremony, including our lovely wedding gazebo. You can even bring some of the reception outdoors with fun lawn games.

When you and your guests spend more time outdoors, there are a few things you can do to make sure everyone is comfortable. A small table with suntan lotion and bug spray for them to use if necessary is a nice addition. By mid-summer, it will be hot and sunny. You can give out favors like sunglasses or wedding programs that double as fans.

Keep CoolA great way to keep all of your wedding guests from getting too hot is to have ice cold drinks at the ready. Big jugs full of tea or lemonade allow everyone to help themselves, and adding slices of fruit to the beverages give them extra tasty flavor. Keep the drinks cold without watering them down by freezing cubes of the beverage to use in place of regular ice cubes. As they melt, the flavor won't change. Having a big tub filled with ice and bottled waters is also nice for your guests to have access to. If you'll be serving alcoholic drinks, now is the time to whip up Margaritas and Mojitos. Those are warm weather cocktails everyone seems to love. You can even offer a few frozen drinks to your guests with the rental of a frozen drink machine.

Use Seasonal InspirationThe easiest way to get a summery feeling at your wedding is to use the colors, scents, and natural beauty from outside in your decorating. Tulips and daisies are popular springtime flowers. The bright blue of the sky, rich green of the trees and landscape, and pastels that match all of the spring blooms on the trees are excellent choices to use for wedding colors. Pantone's color of the year for 2017 is "Greenery," and incorporating that throughout your decor will feel like you've brought a little bit of the outdoors indoors.

Spring and summer offer opportunities that you just don't get in the winter and fall at our rustic wedding venue near Knoxville. Of course, those colder seasons do have some fantastic things about them that you don't get in the warm-weather months. In the end, as with all of your wedding decisions, do what makes you as a couple happy and it will be a great wedding!When you get married at Country Jewell, no matter what the season, we will do our best to make sure the special day that you are dreaming of becomes a reality. We're happy to give you a tour of our event venue in Heiskell so that you can see for yourself what a glorious place this is to begin your happily ever after together.

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

For most weddings, the main activity at the reception is a dance party. This isn't very much fun for anyone that isn't really into dancing. You don't have to worry about those guests being wallflowers all night long if you add a few of these fun ideas to your Tennessee wedding.

The old hay loft at Country Jewell is an excellent place to dance the night away, but there are plenty of other things that you can plan for your guests to do during your reception too. Plus, it's a great way to add a unique element to your day that not all weddings have.

Play GamesLawn games are a great way to keep your wedding guests entertained, and weather permitting, our scenic wedding venue near Knoxville is a gorgeous place to spend time outside. Indoor games can be lots of fun too. Set up a table or two for guests to sit together and play cards or board games. You could even bring in a TV and gaming console and let guests play a few video games. Plan EntertainmentIf you have a live band, they will be needing to take breaks, and even if you hire a DJ, they can pause the music for an entertainment break. Hire professional dancers to perform a dance routine, or you could have a magician or hypnotist captivate the crowd. You, the bride and groom, could continue being the stars of the show with a mini-movie or slideshow presentation of your relationship. There are even some fun games that everyone will enjoy taking time out to watch, like the Shoe Game, or have an "I Spy" scavenger hunt that goes on throughout the evening. Offer Extra ActivitiesGuests can be kept busy by offering interactive stations, like a cupcake decorating table or s'mores-making area. If your friends and family enjoy party games, play a round of Bingo or really get crazy and have a pinata filled with treats. A few games that involve a bit of friendly competition, like beer pong or flip cup, can really get everyone excited.

Just Don't DanceIf you happen to be the one that doesn't like to dance, there is no rule that says you have to include dancing at your wedding reception. You can incorporate these other activities in place of the dancing, or simply have a cocktail hour-type reception with refreshments, keeping it short and sweet. You can also host a wedding at brunch or lunchtime and guests most likely won't expect dancing.Whatever you decide to do for your wedding reception, most importantly, it should be something that you as a couple are excited about doing. You want your guests to have a good time too, though, so having a few backup activity ideas in addition to dancing couldn't hurt. When you tour our rustic wedding venue near Knoxville, you may see something about Country Jewell that inspires even more fun ideas.

Friday, March 3, 2017

The flowers that you choose for your wedding at our beautiful wedding venue near Knoxville can be a very important part of the overall look of your celebration. With so many floral choices and possibilities available, it can be difficult to narrow down exactly what you want. Country Jewell has come up with a few tips that will hopefully make that decision a little bit easier.

Put Trust in Your FloristA professional florist can guide you through the entire process with helpful advice and intelligent suggestions. It's very important to find one that you can put your full trust in. The best way to narrow down your choices when it comes to picking a florist is to read the reviews other wedding couples have left about them. Country Jewell has worked with many talented florists over the years, and we can offer our own suggestions for vendors that we know are well-qualified for the job. Be FlexibleIf you have found a trustworthy florist, you should be able to take their suggestions for any substitutions necessary to your original floral vision. Sometimes the flowers that you have your heart set on aren't available when your wedding is taking place. Some flowers that are said to be available year-round may only be grown far away at certain times of the year, and flying them in makes them a lot more expensive in some months than others. Lots of flowers have look-alikes that can be used in their place, and more than likely your guests won't even notice. Whether it's due to the season, budget restrictions, or other availability problems, keep an open mind when it comes to the final decision. Show your florist pictures of what you like, offer color swatch samples of your favorite shades, and let them guide you to something that works well with all of that.

Let Flowers Do Double-DutyIt's a shame when there are big, gorgeous flower arrangements at the ceremony that can only be appreciated for the short time you are actually at the ceremony compared to the amount of time you and your guests are at the reception. Ask your florist to come up with ceremony arrangements that can also be used at the reception. Think about ways that your florals can do double-duty, like using the bridesmaids' bouquets in vases at the head table as part of the centerpiece. You'll get lots of use out of your flowers, and possibly even save a little money combining their uses.

Imagine the Overall Final LookDon't think about each floral decoration on its own, but rather imagine how all of the pieces will fit together with each other, as well as with the look of your venue. Our scenic wedding venue near Knoxville is already filled with beautiful landscaping and gorgeous natural decor all year long. If you are having an outdoor ceremony, you may not need to use a lot of floral decorations and you can focus your flower budget on the reception area. Look around the venue to see what colors are already there, and pick flowers in complimentary shades that will blend your wedding colors nicely with the venue's current look. Also, be wary of centerpieces at heights that will obstruct guests' views while they are seated.

As we mentioned earlier, if you need help finding a florist or other wedding vendor for your rustic wedding near Knoxville, we have a list of businesses that have proven they are trustworthy and do excellent work. Country Jewell will help in any way that we can to make sure that your wedding here with us is a joyful experience you will never forget.